Incredible brain scans reveal intricate inner workings

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In spite of all we’ve learned as a species, the brain still holds some mysteries. Our behavior, desires, and even many diseases are products of how well the meat between our ears is working. In an effort to better understand how the brain works to produce both genius and dysfunction, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital are taking the highest-resolution brain scans ever attempted. The results are beautiful, and according to scientists, quite enlightening.

This project is at the heart of the Human Connectome Project (HCP), which is funded by the National Institutes of Health with $40 million. The HCP custom scanner uses powerful magnets to take its intricate readings, and ‘powerful’ really cannot be stressed enough. The scanner pipes 22MW of power to the magnets, which is about the same wattage produced by a nuclear sub.

The vivid 3D computer model of each brain scan looks a bit like bundles of multi-colored wire. Major fiber pathways are color coded so researchers can see how signals traverse the breadth of the brain. This is important because scientists are increasingly of the opinion that many diseases and disorders are associated with distinct structural abnormalities in the brain. One example is Alzheimer’s, which neuroscientists believe could cause disruptions in cingulum fibers near the middle of the cerebrum. This could lead to early detection of the disease.

It’s not just devastating diseases like Alzheimer’s that the HCP could detect early. Simple learning disabilities like dyslexia are thought to be marked by variations in the language pathways. These new fibrous diagrams could provide the data to identify these, and other markers with ease.

The Human Connectome Project just showed off its first images at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Boston, but the work continues. The NIH is funding HCP for 5 years with the goal of scanning 1,200 Americans. Only 50 full scans have been completed at this time. There’s still a lot to learn.